North Korean Refugee Stories: Meet On Song
On Song lived a good childhood in an upper-class family, attending special schools reserved for people of her social class and nurturing dreams of becoming a doctor or scientist. After her parents shut those dreams down because they felt they were improper for a girl, she instead became an accountant and worked for a special division of the government for several years. However, once her father retired and his salary and benefits stopped, life immediately took a turn for the worse. It was difficult for her mother to adjust to their new economic situation, and she soon fell seriously ill and passed away.
Things only became more difficult for On Song from that point on. Shortly after her son was born, she got into an argument with her in-laws. They took her son from her and placed him with a foster family. When her marriage ended in a messy divorce, she was left jobless, homeless, and penniless. She finally tracked down her son and saw that he was doing well with his new family. She knew she couldn't provide the same quality of care given her situation, so she decided to leave him with them. It was at this point that she realized her future looked grim if she remained in North Korea. She made the dangerous escape across the border into China and was quickly sold as a bride. She ran away from her "husband" a year later. She did her best to hide from the Chinese authorities, but eventually one of her neighbors reported her and she was repatriated.
She was sent to a reeducation camp where she endured horrifying conditions. She said she saw fellow prisoners around her die every day. After she was released a year later, she managed to escape again to China and was rescued by LiNK. Now she looks forward to life in South Korea and is not worried about facing hardships there, having already seen the worst that life has to offer.
“I don't want my first step in South Korea to be too high, because I want to be able to move up one step by one step, learning the whole way. I believe that even though it's hard, I must go through it.”
On Song is safe today because people around the world stepped up to fund her rescue. Now, she has the freedom to pursue her ambitions and live life as she chooses. You can make a difference in the lives of more North Korean refugees like On Song by donating to our work.
North Korean Advocacy Fellows: Meet the Class of 2024!
Meet Bella, Lily, and Grace, LiNK’s 2024 Advocacy Fellows! Over three months, they’ll be working closely with us in the US and sharing their stories in cities across the country. Join us at a Fellows speaking event near you!
New Haven, Connecticut
April 22nd, 1:30 pm
Yale University - Whitney Humanities Center Auditorium
53 Wall St, New Haven, CT 06511
No RSVP required
Cambridge, MA
April 24th, 6:30 pm
B-L01 Town Weil Hall, Belfer Building79 JFK St.,
Cambridge, MA 02138
Atlanta, Georgia
April 28th, 8 pm
Emory University - Emory Student Center MPR 4,5,6
605 Asbury Cir, Atlanta, GA 30322
Dallas, Texas
April 29th, 5:30 pm
Southern Methodist University
The Martha Proctor Mack Grand Ballroom
3300 Dyer Street Dallas, TX 75205
San Francisco, CA
May 5th, Optional Lunch 1:00pm | Event Start 1:45pm
True North Church
655 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306
New York City, NY
May 15th, 6pm
Exilic
240 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor, New York NY 10018
Washington DC
May 28th, 6:30 pm
Private Home - Address sent after RSVP
Los Angeles, CA
June 6th, 6:30 pm
UCLA - Bruin Viewpoint Room
308 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024
**Parking costs will be reimbursed by the UCLA LiNK Team with a valid receipt.
Not based in one of these cities? No worries! Meet the Fellows virtually on June 12, 2024 at 4pm PT for their Graduation Event. RSVP here to hear their stories and participate in a live Q&A.
